Fog-signal apparatus for railways.



No. 726,867. A PATBNTED MAY 5, 1903.

A H. CLAYTON.

FOG SIGNAL APPARATUS FOR RAILWA-YS.

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PATENTED' MAY 5 1903.

H. F. CLAYTON. FOG' SIGNAL'APPARATUS FOR RAILWAYS.

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H. P. CLAYTON. FOG SIGNAL APPARATUS FOR RAILWAYS.

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,ATENT FOG-SIGNAL APPARATUS FOR RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 726,867, dated May 5, 1903.

Application filed November 29, 1902. Serial No. 133,308. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HERBERT FITZROY CLAYTON, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at Craigmhor, Huddersfield, in the county of York, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in and Relating to Fog gignal Apparatus for Railways; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in fog-signaling apparatus for railways, whereby the detonators can be easily placed on the rail and removed therefrom either by the signalmen in the signal-cabin or by a fogman on the ground operating a lever at a distance from the rail.

The object of my present invention is to provide an apparatus of simple construction and which will give a maximum of safety and reliability in action.

I carry out my invention as follows, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 isa diagrammatic view showing two of my improved machines coupled together and connected up to an operating-lever, so that when said lever is worked both -machines will be actuated simultaneously.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the machine partly in section with cover removed, showing the gripping-jaws in position with the detonator on the rail. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the complete machine, showing the jaws in a position to hold a detonator on the rail. Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation of the machine, showing the jaws in the magazine gripping the lowest detonator-clip. Figs. 5, 6, and 7 are detail views of the grippingjaws. Figs. 8, 9, and 10 are detail views of a modified construction of the gripping-jaws, as hereinafter described.

In a casing 1, fixed adjacent to one of the rails, are rotatably mounted detonator-grip ping jaws 2 3, the upper jaw 2 being fixed (i. e., not movable with reference to the lower jaw for the purpose of gripping a detonator) and having a pinion 4 on its rear end or on a downward extension 5 thereof, said extension being preferably hollow and mounted to rotate on a vertical spindle or pivot in the casing 1. On the upper fixed jaw 2 is fulcrulned at 6 a horizontal weighted lever 7, from the rear end of which projects a pin 8, which is adapted to engage a cam 9, pivoted at 10 on the inside of the casing. The cam 9, which is formed with an incline 11, rests at its free end atastop 12 on theinside of the casing. The upper jaw 2 is provided with a slot 13 and two lugs 14 14:, and the lower movable jaw 3, which works in'the slot 13, (shown in dotted lines in Figs. 5, 6, and 7,) is mounted on a spindle or pivot (5, bearing in said lugs. The forward end of the horizontal weighted lever 7 is forked and is also mounted on the spindle 6, and normally said weighted lever-7 bears on the rear end 18 of the lower movable jaw, so to close said jaw on the detonator clip or tin. A transverse rib or projection 19 is provided in the upper jaw and a corresponding groove 19 in the lower jaw for insuring that the detonator-clip. is held in the proper position in the jaws. At the end of the casing farthest from the rail on which the detonator is to be placed is an upright magazine 20 for the supply of detonators, the capacity of said magazine being as desired. This magazine has an internal vertical rib or projection 2l, with which a recess in the detonator clip or tin engages whenthe detonators are placed in position in the magazine one on top of another, said rib 21 serving to keep the detonators in line and to prevent them being otherwise wrongly placed in the magazine.

23 is the magazine-door, which is hinged onto the magazine in any convenient manner, and on the lower end of said door is a hinged or pivoted flap 24, which acts to knock the spent detonators out of the jaws, as hereinafter described, said flap 24; being cut away at one corner 25, so as to allow the jaws to enter the magazine.

26 is a rack which engages pinion ion the rear end or supporting-column 5 of the upper jaw, said rack being connected by red or other connection 27 to a lever 28 on the ground, (it might be to a lever in the signal-cabin,) through which the detonator-gripping jaws are moved from magazine to rail and vice versa, as hereinafter described. This lever 28 works to three positions, marked, respectively, A, B, and 0, corresponding to the similarly-marked positions of the detonator-gripping jaws, as shown in Fig. 1. The rack 26 works transversely through the casing 1.

29 is a miniature semaphore (it might be a disk or other form of indicator) which is connected to and works with the main signal to which the fog-signaling apparatus applies, so that the fogman or signalman may know when to place a detonator on the rail and when to remove it, said miniature semaphore being situated close to the lever 28.

In the diagram Fig. 1 two machines are shown coupled up, so as to work in unison, the rod 27 connecting and working the racks 26 of both machines.

In the modification shown in Figs. 8, 9, and 10 the lower movable jaw 2 and the weighted lever 7 are formed as one piece and mounted on the spindle 6, bearing in the lugs 14: 14 The rear end of lever 7 in the fitting together of the jaws is passed through slot 13 in the upper jaw, and the weight 7 is afterward attached-for instance, by screws, as shown in Fig. 8.

The working may be described as follows: The normal position of the gripping-jaws 2 and 3 is in the detonator-magazine, gripping the lowest detonator clip or tin therein as shown in Fig. 4. When the Signalman or fogman desires to place a detonator on the rail, he moves his lever28 from the position A to position B, thereby through the connection 27, rack 26, and pinion 4 rotating the gripping-jaws through a semicircle from magazine to the rail, the detonator being held on the rail, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. During part of this movement of the grippingjaws the pin 8 on the rear end of the weighted lever 7 moves under the incline 11 of cam 9, which latter is thus raised, and when pin 8 has passed clear of the cam its free end drops again onto the stop 12. As the jaws move out of the magazine with a detonator, the latter pushes outward and upward the hinged flap 24., which drops again when the detonator has passed clear. Now assuming that the main semaphore-signal is moved to safety the miniature semaphore will move to the corresponding position, and the fogman will then operate his lever 28 from the position B back to the intermediate position 0, and through the connection 27, rack 26, and pinion 4: the jaws 2 3, with the detonator, will be moved back toward the magazine to the intermediate position, (marked 0 in Fig. 1.) On the semaphore-signal being replaced to danger the miniature semaphore will move to the cerresponding position, and the fogman will now return lever 28 to the position B, which again moves the jaws into position to replace the detonator on the rail. When the detonator is exploded by the passing train, the fogman orsignahnan moves lever 28 from position B back to the normal position A,whicl1 through i connection 27, rack 26, and pinion 4 moves the jaws from the rail back into the magazine, the spent detonator being knocked out of the jaws and a fresh one gripped in the following manner: In the return movement of the jaws to the magazine the pin 8 on the rear end of weighted lever 7 rides up on the incline 11 of cam 9, whereby said weighted lever is lifted,

and consequently its pressure is taken off the rear end 18 of the lower movable jaw 2, which latter now opens owing to the superior weight of its forward or gripping end, so that the spent detonator will be easily knocked out of the jaws by coming in contact with the hinged flap 24 as the jaws move into the magazine through the cut-away portion 25 of said flap. As the jaws get to their position of rest in the magazine the pin 8 on lever 7 drops over the edge of incline 11 of cam 9, so that the weighted lever 7 also drops and again bears on the rear end 18 on the lower jaw, which is thus closed on the detonator tin or clip, which latter is now firmly gripped between the upper and lower jaws ready for the next movement of the jaws to place the detonator on the rail, as hereinbefore described.

With reference to the modified construction of the jaws, (shown in Figs. 8, 9, and 10,) the working is the same as above described, except that the opening movement of the lower jaw is a positive action when the rear end of the lever 7 is raised by the cam 9, as above describedthat is to say, in this case the lower jaw does not open by gravity.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In railway fog-signaling apparatus detonatorgripping-jaw mechanism in which the lower jaw is actuated by gravity to grip the detonator, substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

2. In a fog-signaling machine for railways a magazine situated at the part of the machine farthest from the rail, in combination with the detonator gripping-jaw mechanism in which the lower jaw is actuated by means of a horizontal weighted lever placed above the upper jaw and said lower jaw is opened to release the detonator by said weighted 1ever engaging a cam, substantially as described with reference to the drawings annexed.

3. In railway fog-signaling apparatus substantially as set forth, a detonator-magazine provided with a rib or projection and a detonator tin or clip having a recess adapted to engage said rib so as to insure the detonators being properly placed in the magazine.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HERBERT FITZROY CLAYTON.

VVitu esses:

WM. RAMSDEN, FRANK PEARSON. 

